Three-year-old Esperanza named her pigeon after her wheelchair-bound teenage uncle. He was shot by a rival gang member in a drive-by shooting. Taken in Watts, Los Angeles, 1994.

For journalists around the world, children are often at the forefront of reporting, on beats ranging from education and crime to refugees, conflict and international public health. Quite simply, children are the news - whether as the subjects of stories, the targets of social policies, or the victims of family violence, natural disaster, or war. Yet too often, reporting overlooks crucial innovations in the scientific understanding of early childhood, the impact of trauma on developing minds and the policies that promote resilience and growth in the face of violence, stress and upheaval.

To foster more effective reporting on vulnerable children, the Dart Center launched the Early Childhood Reporting Initiative: Covering Trauma, Resilience and the Developing Brain. This new series of workshops, supported by a consortium of international foundations, will provide journalists around the world with the knowledge, skills and resources to incorporate emerging science and policy on early childhood development into their coverage.

The first Global Reporting Institute was a four-day program at Columbia Journalism School in New York City, from June 28 to July 1, 2018.

Resources, including expert briefing materials, suggested readings and full video coverage, can be found below.